Crystal Dunn has been one of the U.S. Women’s National Team’s most consistent players in 2018, and that was once again the case in the team’s 1-0 victory over Portugal on Thursday.
The versatile player continues to impress at left back, where she once again took total control of her flank. She was defensively solid, but Dunn’s best moments almost always come when she moves forward. Against Portugal, she grabbed an assist on the game’s lone goal, crossing the ball into the box for Jessica McDonald to finish. It was not the only time she got forward, managing to advance the ball on several occasions for the USWNT and adding depth — and difficulty for the opponent — to the team’s attack on the field.
Honorable mentions go to Megan Rapinoe, who continued her strong year by performing well in attack and on set pieces, and Lindsey Horan, who enjoyed another strong performance in midfield.
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, Dunn is the USWNT best player, at a few positions and that includes forward! She may be the only player to win the golden boot for scoring the most goals in a domestic league only to be moved to LB, a position that doesn’t allow for her to show her best attributes(pace, technique and precision in front of goal).
I love Dunn’s game!!
I can see that it’s a tough decision for Ellis with as stacked as the team is, so in some regards I’m happy that Jill has been able to get her on the field in some capacity. I tend to agree though, that we could certainly use her prowess in front of goal better. The question is who do you move to make that happen…
Pugh…who has done next to nothing (I get it, she’s quick) since becoming a pro to justify her inclusion in the ever-stacked forward pool.